What was the state of the British Empire in 1857?

Britain – Empire, 1857-90

In this course, Professor Jeremy Black (University of Exeter) explores the British Empire and its activity from 1857 to 1890. In the first lecture, we think about the background to the state of the British Empire in the 1850s. In the second lecture, we think about the forms in which vested interests in empire come from the British people. In the third lecture, we think about the role of self-belief in the success of British imperial expansion. Next, we think about the role of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 on British imperialism. In the fifth lecture, we think about how the British Empire responded to significant challenges during the 19th century. In the sixth and final lecture, we think about the role of informal empire.

What was the state of the British Empire in 1857?

In this lecture, we think about background to the British Empire up to the 1850s, focusing in particular on: (i) the Indian war of independence from 1857-59; (ii) the British presence in India which began for commercial reasons at the start of the 17th century; (iii) the presence of the dominant Mughal Empire in India when the British presence was established; (iv) the decline of the Mughal Empire in the 18th century, which drew in British and French East India companies; (v) the fact that, in 1857, the British East India Company has control over much of India, alongside allied princes; (vi) the typical British territorial presence format being that, while the highest ranking members are British, the majority of employees are native to the colonised country; (vii) settlement colonies in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, wherein many British people do live; (viii) lessons in governing offshore territories learned from the American Revolutionary War of 1775-83; (ix) a comparison between the situation in India and in Canada, where the commercial Hudson Bay Company had a presence; (x) the fact that, throughout the British Empire, there was no unified system of commercialisation or government; (xi) the process of nationalisation, which involved the British state taking over the East India and Hudson Bay companies.